title: One step polymerizing technique for fabricating a hollow obturator.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although a closed hollow obturator is often applied to post maxillectomy patients, it has a few problems such as complexity of fabrication and water leakage to inside. A one step curing technique to fabricate a closed hollow obturator by constructing a small hollow bulb made by two thermoplastic resin sheets is described in the present report.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the one step curing technique, after dewaxing the wax denture fabricated conventionally, one size smaller hollow body was fabricated with two thermoplastic resin sheets and set into the investment mold as a core. Then the circumferential part of obturator was cured by the pour type resin. This technique was used to fabricate an obturator prosthesis in a 60-year-old post-maxillectomy patient. The weight of this obturator was well controlled and the definitive prosthesis weighed 22 g. At a one year follow-up, the obturator fared well without any water leakage or breakage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This technique allows the fabricator to control the thickness and weight of the obturator by the amount of relief provided by the hollow bulb. It also rectifies the disadvantages of the closed hollow obturator such as water leakage and complexity of fabrication.
authors.affiliation: Division of Dysphagia Rehabilitation, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Japan. Electronic address: hori@dent.niigata-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shiroshita
authors.forename: Yoshinobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inoue
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017267:Dental Prosthesis Design / Q000379:methods*; D003779:Denture Design; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008441:Maxillary Neoplasms / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008875:Middle Aged; D010158:Palatal Obturators; D058105:Polymerization; D011476:Prosthodontics / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Closed hollow obturator; Maxillofacial prosthodontics; Obturator; Thermoform